


VLD (Broganes) Whumpmas 2017

by RiRiMania1335



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allergic reaction, Burns, Coming Out, Delusions, Fevers, Fight me on it, Food Poisoning, Gay Keith, High School AU, Hypothermia, Keith has a panic attack, Keith has a sesame allergy, Keith on fire, Lance and Keith are Science Fair partners, Middle School AU, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Shatt, Shiro is such a good brother, Sick Keith (Voltron), Sick Shiro, Sore throat, VLD Whumpmas 2017, Vomiting, bonding with Shiro, broganes, even from states away, foster kid Keith, from far away of course, he refuses to tell anyone, he's super lonely, he's upset about it, keith gets chicken pox, keith gets frequent migraines, keith has bronchitis, keith in college au, keith is sick as has to miss school, keith would die for those he loves, mentions of bullying, mentions of lance panic attacks, miserable boys, protective keith, salmonella, science fair project, shiro always wants to help, shiro can't cook, shiro is there to comfort him, shiro keeps him company, sick keith, strep throat, thats totally canon, trip to the doctor, worried shiro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-14 13:13:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13008546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiRiMania1335/pseuds/RiRiMania1335
Summary: 12 Days of Whump PromptsDay 1 - FeverDay 2 - EmetoDay 3 - HypothermiaDay 4 - Strep ThroatDay 5 - BurnsDay 6 - Cold/FluDay 7 - Allergic ReactionDay 8 - Mental HealthDay 9 - Broken Limbs/Cuts/BruisesDay 10 - MigraineDay 11 - BronchitisDay 12 - Free Day - Chicken Pox





	1. Day 1 - Fever

**Author's Note:**

> Jumping on the VLD whumpmas bandwagon. I skipped whump week and I definitely do not want to miss this. Look out for these prompts. 
> 
> Every prompt will be centered around Keith and Shiro as brothers. Each prompt may exist in a different universe, which will be explained in the fic or in any notes.

“Keith! I’m heading out!” Shiro called up the stairs as he laced up his second boot. It was Christmas eve and Shiro had been invited to the Holt Christmas festivities. Originally Shiro had turned the invitation down, claiming that he needed to be with Keith. This time of year had been especially hard for Keith since their parents’ passing three years ago, Shiro explained. 

Matt understood, of course, despite his small pout that formed on his lips. He’d hoped they’d be able to spend the holiday together, since it was the first Christmas they would have as a couple. Hopefully the first of many. But he knew Shiro’s bond with Keith was a force to be reckoned with, so he let the subject die there. Maybe next year, he hoped. 

But when Shiro told Keith about the invitation, Keith insisted that Shiro go. He didn’t want to be the reason that Shiro didn’t get to spend Christmas with his boyfriend. Especially since Keith had come to loathe the holiday entirely. “Honestly, Shiro, I was just planning on relaxing and playing video games. You love Christmas, go spend it with Matt.” The two went back and forth at it for nearly an hour until Shiro caved and texted Matt that he would be there. 

So when the day finally came, Shiro was more excited than ever. Matt had been hyping up the celebration all week - the food, the music, the atmosphere. Shiro hadn’t had a real Christmas in years, despite his best efforts. He was really looking forward to it. Of course, he was a bit disheartened that Keith would spend the night by himself; but he seemed to want it that way. Keith was an adult. He could take care of himself. He’d be fine. 

Shiro stood at the base of the steps waiting for any kind of sign that Keith heard him shout. Usually he would yell back some form of okay or hummed a response. But there was absolute silence. Shiro tried not to assume the worst, maybe Keith just had headphones on. He gave it a few more seconds before trekking up the stairs and over to Keith’s room. 

He knocked lightly three times before opening the door. Creeping inside, he noticed the lights were turned off and there was a covered lump in Keith’s bed - presumably Keith. It was nearly 3 in the afternoon; Keith shouldn’t be sleeping. Shiro tiptoed closer, heart racing as he became aware of the soft painful moans slipping through Keith’s mouth. Finally at Keith’s bedside, Shiro gently shook his brother’s shoulder. Keith whimpered in response. 

Shiro pressed his hand to Keith’s forehead and was only slightly surprised by the dry heat that tinged his finger tips. He let out a low sigh. When Shrio pulled his hand away, Keith started to stir. His eyes shot open and as he scanned the room, Shiro could tell just how clouded and dazed they were. 

Keith made an attempt to sit up in his bed; and though it took longer than it should have, he managed. “I thought you were at Matt’s.” He forced out, voice still tired from sleep. 

“I was just on my way out when I came to check on you.” Shiro tried to keep the scolding concerned-brother voice to a minimum. “How long have you had this fever?”   
  
Keith rubbed at his tired eyes. He really concentrated on his answer, “Since this morning, I guess. But it’s fine. I took some advil.” He stated like that made up for the fact that he hadn’t told Shiro. 

Shiro mentally cursed at himself. He mentally recapped his day, trying to figure out why he hadn’t noticed Keith’s absence. Their mother always had a knack for knowing when Keith was sick, like a sixth sense or something. Shiro hadn’t inherited that fortune-telling gene, much to his own dismay. “Hang tight, Keith. I’ll be right back. I’m gonna call Matt and tell him not to expect me. Then I’ll be back with the thermometer and something for you to eat.” He was already reaching for his phone in his pocket. 

“No,” Keith argued weakly. “You don’t have to take care of me. I’m sure Matt’s already waiting for you.” 

“Keith, I’m not leaving you sick and alone on Christmas Eve.” Shiro countered. 

“And I’m not going to be the reason you don’t get to enjoy the holiday this year. Look, I’m tired. I’m just gonna go back to sleep. You don’t need to sit around and watch me sleep. If you want to help me, please just bring me whatever you think I need and then go have fun with your boyfriend.” His voice was distant and disoriented, but he made a good effort getting his frustration across. 

Shiro hesitated. But he knew that Keith likely wouldn’t budge on the issue. So he complied. “I’ll cut you a deal, how about I go, but make sure I’m back by tonight. And you have to eat something before I leave.” 

Keith pouted, but eventually accepted the offer. It was better than him missing out on everything he supposed. 

Shiro went right to work on collecting supplies and heating up some soup. While he waited by the microwave, he shot Matt a quick text explaining the situation and why he wasn’t there on time. The microwave beeped and Shiro carefully carried the bowl up the stairs. As he stepped back into the room, he noticed that Keith had drifted back to sleep in his absence. 

This time, the sleep seemed to be much more uneasy. Keith had streams of tears fall down the sides of his face and he was mumbling about something. When Shiro got closer, he could make out that he was crying for their mother. He must have been having a very vivid fever dream. He quickly set the soup down and ran over to console his brother. 

There was a slick layer of sweat on Keith’s brow and Shiro assumed that his fever had suddenly spiked. Was it because of their little argument? He hoped it was just circumstantial, but he couldn’t shake that feeling that it was somehow all his fault. After a decent amount of consoling, Keith awoke even more dazed than before. 

“Mom,” He called out aimlessly, “Mom.”

Shiro hushed him, “It’s okay, Keith. I’m here. I’ve got you. You’re okay.” But no matter how much Shiro tried to comfort him, Keith still called for their mom. Eventually, Keith’s screams died down and he noticed Shiro’s presence. 

“Sh-Shiro, I don’t feel good.” Keith pouted, new tears spilling over the brims of his eyes, “I want mom.” 

Shiro’s heart instantly broke in two. He had no idea what to say, what to do. To be honest, he wanted mom too. Rather than respond, he just held Keith tighter, encouraging him to fall back to sleep. The thermometer could wait. The soup could wait. They just had to ride out this spike.

He’d apologize to Matt later. 


	2. Day 2 - Emeto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro shouldn't be allowed in the kitchen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shiro - 22  
> Keith - 15

Keith firmly planted himself on the couch, blanket draped over his body providing him little to no comfort and trash bin on the floor waiting for him to make another contribution. Shiro sat in the recliner on the opposite side of the living room, fully reclined with a moist towel draped around his neck and a large stock pot sitting in his lap. Some obscure television played on the television in front of them, but they were both two focused on the churning in their stomachs to pay it any attention. 

They’d been like this since yesterday. It’d been a vicious cycle that showed no sign of stopping soon. Keith worried it would never stop and he would feel this miserable for the rest of his life. 

Shiro had been experimenting in the kitchen. They had both exhausted the list of microwave dinners and restaurant delivery. They wanted to try something new, something homecooked and took more than 60 seconds to heat up. Shiro thought chicken would be simple enough. He’d watched tons of videos on YouTube about how to prepare chicken breasts and it didn’t look that hard. 

Shiro had never been more wrong.

Not only did he manage to give him and his younger brother salmonella poisoning, he also nearly burned the house down and destroyed every cooking utensil they owned. Keith knew it was undercooked when he cut into it, but Shiro had worked so hard to make them dinner; he didn’t want to disappoint his brother by refusing. So in some respect, Keith felt that he deserved the food poisoning. Maybe it would teach him to speak up. 

The effects were almost immediate. It only took about an hour until Keith made his first trip to the bathroom. Shiro followed very shortly after. Eventually, they decided it would just be best to stay in the living room where they could keep an eye on each other. And they each grabbed something to vomit into so they wouldn’t be running back and forth to the bathroom every fifteen minutes. Shiro apologized profusely every time Keith would take his turn.

Since then they had been miserable. It became a constant cycle of trying to stay hydrated. Everything they put in their bodies was quickly kicked back out. Taking and medication to soothe the symptoms was strictly out of the question. They were doomed to ride this out in misery. 

Keith pressed a hand over his stomach, trying to knead out some of the knots and cramps that had formed over the past day. At this point he’d adjusted to the lingering nausea and he wasn’t even all that bothered by the permanent taste of vomit in his mouth. He’d even begun to go nose blind to the stench that filled the air. It was aches and pains that were really killing him. The way his stomach clenched uncontrollably when he leaned over to heave or the way the fever heat prickled at his skin, making everything so sensitive. He wanted that to stop. Weakly, he pulled his blanket tighter around himself seeking any solace it could provide. 

He managed to pull his attention to Shiro, whose head was dipped into the pot and the sounds that drowned out the TV told Keith it wasn’t pleasant. While Keith had mostly been cursed with dry heaving and pooled saliva now, Shiro was still vomiting mouthful after mouthful of putrid stomach acid. 

When Shiro picked his head up, he made eye contact with Keith from across the room. He could see Keith glaring at him and responded with a sheepish smile. Keith grit his teeth, swallowing back the urge to follow Shiro’s lead, but his body had other plans. He dipped his head down into the trash bin, letting excess saliva dribbled out of his mouth as his stomach clenched. He let out a few unproductive belches. 

When he looked back up, he stared at Shiro. “You are  _ NEVER _ cooking again,” His voice was grainy and weak from all the vomiting. 

Shiro let out a small chuckle, “I wasn’t planning on it.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith walks home from school - it's a big mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> High School AU

“Are you sure you don’t need me to pick you up today?” Shiro asked as he pulled up to the high school. 

“Yeah, Lance said he’d drive me home after rehearsal today.” Keith explained as he stuffed some stray papers in his bookbag. “I won’t be home until late tonight. So don’t wait to eat dinner.” 

Shiro nodded, “Okay, in that case I’ll probably have dinner with Matt tonight. I’ll pick you up something on the way home.” 

Keith opened the door, stepping out of the car. “Okay, sounds good. I gotta go.” He was just about to close the door when he heard Shiro call his name again. 

“Make sure you bring your jacket home today. It’s supposed to snow tonight.” Shiro warned. Keith just nodded and closed the door. Shiro didn’t drive away until Keith was in the building. 

XxX

Keith made it through the school day easy enough. When he walked into the auditorium for rehearsal, he found his friends joined their small circle. He stood there for a while, listening to Pidge’s and Hunk’s conversation. As the director called for everyone to take their places, Keith looked around the room for Lance. He couldn’t find Lance anywhere. 

“Guys, where’s Lance?” Keith whispered to his small group of stage crew friends. 

“Didn’t you hear,” Hunk whispered back, “He got sick in third period and his mom had to come pick him up.” 

Pidge let out a small chuckle, “Yeah, he threw up all over Mr. Miller’s shoes. It was gross.” 

Keith nodded and reached into his pocket for his phone. There wasn’t a scene change for a while, so he didn’t have anything to do for a few minutes. He quickly pulled up his conversation with Lance and shot him a quick text. 

To: Lance

Hey. Hunk told me you’re sick and went home early. How you feeling? 

Keith felt his phone vibrate as soon as he looked away. 

From: Lance

Better than this morning for sure. I’ve been sleeping most of the day. 

Keith bit his bottom lip as he looked down at the message. Shit. Lance was his ride home. He’d already told Shiro not to come. He couldn’t ask Hunk or Pidge; they lived in the opposite direction. And he didn’t really have any other friends he was close enough to. 

To: Lance

That’s good at least. Rest up and feel better.     

Keith shoved his phone back in his pocket and turned his attention back to the stage. He’d figure out how he was going to get home after rehearsal. He’d think of something. But with opening night coming up, he couldn’t afford to not pay attention. 

Rehearsal went by with very few hitches. The director praised their performance and sent them all on their way. Keith bid his friends goodnight, not telling them about his current dilemma. He was sure they would insist to take him home, but he didn’t want to burden them like that. 

He considered calling Shiro. But he recalled that Shiro was having dinner with Matt, and he didn’t want to ruin that either. In the end, he decided just to walk home. It wouldn’t be the quickest way home, or the warmest. But it was looking like it was his only option. 

Keith’s house was a thirty minute drive from the high school; it was easily a two hour walk in good weather. But as Keith took a few steps outside the building, he noticed the weather was anything but good. And to top it all off, he’d forgotten his coat in his locker  _ again  _ just like Shiro reminded him not to do. 

The snow was falling in sheets, sticking immediately to the ground and piling up inch upon inch. Keith wondered how long it had been falling to already be piling up as it was. But there was nothing he could do about it, he’d just have to brave it. 

As Keith trekked on, he thought only of arriving home and making himself a cup of hot chocolate. God, his fingers were freezing and he could hardly feel his ears. He wished at least he had a scarf. He could shove his hands in his pockets. His hair was long enough to cover most of his ears. But there was nothing covering his nose, and he feared it may freeze off by the time got home. It had started to run a while back, and he’d adjusted to the habit of just wiping it on his sleeve to prevent it from freezing pooled under his nostrils. 

He still had a long ways until he made it home. He was starting think this was a  _ very _ bad idea. 

XxX

Shiro walked into the house with a bag of Chinese take-out in hand. “Keith, I’m home!” 

Shiro started to take off his layers while he waited for Keith to run down the stairs. But Keith never showed. He didn’t see any of Keith’s school work on the tables and Keith’s keys weren’t by the door. His jacket wasn’t hung on the rack, but that was nothing new. 

Before Shiro could tear his sodden shoes off, he ran around the house in search of his brother. He knew Keith said he would be home late, but it was nearly 9:00. Rehearsal should have ended an hour ago. He should definitely be home by now. But Shiro ran all around the house, into Keith’s room, the bathroom, the basement. He was nowhere to be found. 

Shiro started to panic. He checked his phone to see if he had any messages from Keith. Nothing. He hastily called his brother. It went to voicemail. He tried again and again and again but Keith wasn’t answering. 

Thankfully, he had Lance’s phone number saved for cases just like these. Hopefully, Lance would know where he was. 

“Ello,” Lance answered through a yawn. 

“Hey, Lance. It’s Shiro, Keith’s brother.” Shiro spoke quickly, “I’m sorry to bother you so late. But I can’t find Keith. He mentioned this morning that you were taking him home. I’ve been trying to get ahold of him but he’s not answering his phone.” 

Lance coughed on the other end, “Shit, I totally forgot I was Keith’s ride today. I’m so sorry, Shiro.” Lance knew how Shiro worried about Keith. Keith had talked about it countless times. “I went home sick this morning. I haven’t seen him all day. He texted me for a minute, but that was towards the beginning of rehearsal. I haven’t heard from him since.”  

“No, it’s not your fault. I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. And I’m sorry for keeping you up.” Shiro apologized, panicking even more now knowing that no one had seen Keith. 

“Don’t sweat it, Shiro. I’ll text you if I know anything.” Lance replied. 

“Thanks, Lance.” Shiro finished before he hung up the phone. He tried calling Keith’s phone again and after the third time he finally got an answer. 

“Sh-Shiro,” Keith’s voice was hardly audible. Shiro could heard Keith’s teeth chattering. 

“Keith. Keith, where are you buddy?” Shiro replied frantically as he threw his jacket back on. 

Keith sniffled, “‘m cold.” 

“Keith. Tell me where you are. I’ll come get you.” Shiro already had his keys in his hand as he headed back into the car. 

“I see a McDnlds, and a bank.” Keith sneezed. “I thk I missed a turn.” 

McDonald’s and a bank. Shiro figured he knew where Keith was. “Alright Keith, stay on the phone with me. I’m coming to get you.” He turned the car on and started driving over. He blasted the heat on the car so that it would be warm when Keith got in. 

“Kay,” Keith chattered back.

The roads were already getting bad. And Shiro imagined the sidewalks were just as bad. He continued to make light conversation with Keith as he drove just to make sure Keith was still conscious. Shiro drove up to the only McDonald's he knew of and saw Keith stumbling around on the sidewalk. He wasn’t wearing his heavy jacket. Really, he wasn’t wearing anything that was appropriate for the weather. Shiro pulled up to the side of the road and jumped out. 

“Keith, Keith. Hey, buddy. It’s me. I’m here.” Shiro quickly threw his own jacket over Keith, hopefully providing him just an inkling of warmth. 

“So cold,” Keith slurred, “nd tired.” 

“I know, kiddo. Come on, let’s go home. Get in the car.” Shiro ushered him to the passengers side and buckled him in. He had a blanket lying in the trunk and he brought that out to lay over him. Shiro knew the signs of hypothermia, and he was pretty sure that Keith was nearly there. He considered driving Keith to the hospital, but he figured Keith would fight him tooth and nail on that. He decided that if Keith passed out before they got home, he would take him to the hospital. 

Keith stayed conscious the whole way home, thanks to some light conversation provided by Shiro. When they got home, Shiro carried Keith inside and brought him right up to his room. He crawled into bed with Keith, providing him his own body heat to warm him up. Eventually, Keith’s teeth stopped chattering and he stopped shivering. It seemed he was on his way to sleep. 

Shiro nudged him a bit and Keith looked up at him, “Don’t ever try to walk home again. You had me worried sick.” 

Keith lowly nodded, “Kay,” He mumbled before falling asleep beside Shiro.  


	4. Day 4 - Strep Throat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith gets strep throat and Shiro has to take care of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shiro - 17  
> Keith - 10

Shiro’s suspicion started to rise when Keith slumped into his chair for dinner. Normally, Keith was the first one at the table, ready to dig into whatever was on his plate. But Shiro had to call him downstairs three times, and even then Keith was grumpy and sluggish as he made his way to the kitchen. But he was quick to dismiss it as Keith just being in a mood and carried on with the meal. 

But as the meal progressed, Shiro noticed that Keith was just pushing food around on his plate. The meatloaf that had once been cut into a perfect slide had been mashed up, looking more like taco meat than meatloaf; and he’d made an effort to mix it in with his mashed potatoes. The asparagus was completely untouched, which was particularly odd. Keith was the kind of kid that usually polished off his veggies with no complaints. At this observation, Shiro felt he should interject, “Not hungry?” He asked casually. 

Keith shook his head. “Throat hurts,” he replied, rubbing a hand over his neck and grimacing. “Hurts to swallow.” Shiro could hear a prominent rasp in his voice.

Shiro was quick to set his utensils down and rush over to his brother’s side. He pressed the back of his hand to Keith’s forehead to find a low grade fever building. “How long has it been hurting?” 

Keith shrugged, trying to refrain from using his voice. He tried to push Shiro away. He knew his brother had a tendency to coddle him when he was sick. But as much as he loved being taken care of by Shiro, now wasn’t the time to get sick. With their parents out of town for the week, he didn’t want to add anymore to Shiro’s already overbearing schedule. 

“Did it hurt this morning when you left for school?” He asked. Keith shook his head. “What about during lunch?” Keith shook his head again. “After school?” Keith nodded and Shiro started to worry. That was only a few hours ago. He wondered why Keith came to feel so poorly so suddenly. “Does anything else hurt? Or just your throat?” Shiro asked, slight panic in his voice. 

Keith pondered it for a moment. He motioned to his head, for which Shiro supplied the explanation, “Headache.” Keith nodded, leaning into Shiro and letting out a small whine. “Alright, bud. Let’s get you up to bed now. Hopefully you’ll feel better in the morning.” 

Keith nodded, standing up from his seat and heading upstairs. Shiro quickly cleaned off the dinner table, dumping Keith’s mess of a meal into the garbage, then followed shortly after his younger brother. Once upstairs, Shiro gathered a few things to give Keith before he fell asleep. He checked Keith’s temperature, jotting down the number to keep an eye on his fever. And he gave Keith a safe amount of medicine to hopefully make him comfortable enough to sleep. Leaving a glass of water by Keith’s bed, he tucked Keith in and left him to doze off. Medicine usually made Keith drowsy, so Shiro figured he’d be out like a light very soon. 

Shiro made his way back downstairs to finish cleaning up from dinner. He sat down to do his own homework when his mother called. He considered telling her about Keith’s sore throat; but he decided against it. He didn’t want to ruin her vacation because she was worried about Keith. He resolved to tell her if and only if Keith got any worse. 

XxX

The next morning, Shiro went into Keith’s room to wake him up for school. Before he even started waking him up, Shiro checked for fever. Much to his dismay, he’d found that it was still running high, maybe even higher than the night before. He’d decided against waking Keith, resigning to let him sleep in and wake on his own accord. He’d have to call Keith out of school. Which, unfortunately enough, meant that he also had to skip school. He couldn’t in good conscious leave his sick 10-year-old brother all alone. 

Shiro waited around until Keith woke up. When Keith came strolling down stairs, he caught Shiro’s eye and the older man was quick to run over to him. “Good morning, sleepyhead. How are you feeling this morning.” 

Keith just grabbed his throat and shook his head. It hurt so much more than it had yesterday. He looked up at Shiro with pleading eyes, like Shiro could come up with a magic cure that would make him feel all better. Shiro wished he possessed such a cure. Looking down at Keith’s sad expression, he huffed out a sigh and ushered his brother over to the couch to relax. “Open up,” Shiro instructed. He was no doctor, but he maybe he would be able to detect something out of the ordinary. 

Keith obeyed, sticking his tongue out. Shiro looked inside, using the flashlight feature on his phone to brighten Keith’s features. It definitely looked like Keith’s tonsils were swollen. His throat was a burning red and splotchy and Shiro vaguely remembered that being a symptom of strep throat.  

If it was strep, Keith would need to go to a doctor and get antibiotics or something. It likely wouldn’t heal on its own. And if it did, it would take a week. Keith couldn’t miss that much school. As Shiro ran upstairs to grab the thermometer left in Keith’s room, he quickly Googled the symptoms of strep throat. Scrolling through a few pictures, he realized that Keith’s throat was a close resemblance. He feared the worst. And after taking Keith’s temperature, the 102 degree fever was enough confirmation. 

“Keith, go throw some warm clothes on. I’m taking you to the doctor.” Shiro instructed as he himself ran around in search of the car keys. Keith nodded and fumbled upstairs to get dressed. Shiro made sure Keith was wearing his jacket, hat, gloves and scarf before he let Keith leave the house. 

On the drive over, Keith was drifting in and out of sleep. Shiro, on the other hand, called their mother and explained the situation. She immediately insisted that she and their father drop everything and rush home, but Shiro insisted they stay. He insisted that Keith was in capable hands, and he would keep them informed about everything. There was a bit of back and forth, but Shiro finally convinced them to stay on the condition that he call them frequently with updates on Keith’s condition. 

Shiro pulled into a parking spot at the Patient First and quickly registered his brother. There weren’t many people, so he hoped that Keith’s name would be called fairly quickly. Shiro flipped mindlessly through a magazine while Keith rested his head on Shiro’s shoulder. Eventually, Keith’s name was called and the two of them followed the nurse back. He took his vitals and then left them alone to wait for the doctor to show up. 

When the doctor finally came, she greeted them both kindly. “Alright, the records indicate you’ve got a sore throat, huh?” 

Keith nodded and Shiro explained, “He complained of a sore throat and headache last night. He had a bit of a fever, so I sent him to bed. When he woke up this morning, his fever was a lot worse and his throats very red.” 

The doctor nodded, slipping gloves over her hands and pulling a tongue depressor out of its packaging. “Okay, Keith. Let’s take a look and see what’s going on.” She smiled and she crouched down to his level. She let out a few affirming hums as she looked around in Keith’s throat. She proceeded to feel around his neck and nod. “Yeah, I want to run a quick test, but it looks like strep.” She spoke calmly. “You said this just started last night?” 

Shiro nodded, “Yeah, he said his throat started hurting after he got home from school.” 

“Okay,” she replied. “I’ll be right back. I just need to grab a strep kit and I’ll be right back.” She left and, true to her word, returned only a moment later. “Alright Keith, open up once more for me.” she smiled and proded Keith’s throat with a cotton swab. Once she got enough, she turned her back and processed the results on the small counter opposite the room. In a few minutes, she got her result and looked back at them. “Looks like I was right. It is strep. Fortunately for you, Keith, your brother caught it early and made a good call to bring you here. We can prescribe you an antibiotic and you’ll start feeling better in no time.” Her smile was warm and comforting as she put a hand on Keith’s shoulder. 

Keith nodded and Shiro thank her on both their behalves. 

“You’re both very welcome. Let me just write up your prescription. You can get it filled up at the front or at your local pharmacy. It’s up to you. The instruction will be printed on the bottle.” She handed the slip to Shiro, “It was a pleasure to meet you both. Hope you feel better soon, Keith.” She waved as she walked out of the room. 

Shiro filled the prescription and took Keith home. He would make sure that Keith had the best care of his life. At least until their parents came home.   


	5. Day 5 - Burns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Of course Keith would accidentally set himself on fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Middle school AU?
> 
> Maybe Keith and Lance are 13   
> Shiro roughly 20
> 
> Fair warning - never written a burn fic before. But I actually enjoyed writing this.

Shiro’s head turned like a deer in headlights at the sound of screaming boys coming from the patio. He wasted no time running from the living room to the backyard at record speed, all the while hearing Lance’s shrill voice calling his name. As he ran, he cursed himself for allowing Keith and Lance to work on the their science fair project without supervision. He had a daunting feeling that something bad would happen

Shiro was floored when he saw the growing fire running rampant, burning away the small potted plants, school books, and Keith’s pant leg. Keith’s screams filled his ears as he watched his brother flailing around to kick the flames off his leg. 

There was no time to even think. Shiro went right to acting. He ran to the hose and turned it on, immediately pointing the nozzle at Keith and spraying him down. Once he was sure Keith was no longer on fire, he turned the hose to extinguish the rest of the flames singing everything on the patio. Thankfully, none of the flames made it onto the actual yard. The damage was contained.

With no more flames, Shiro turned the hose off and rushed over to Keith’s aid. Keith had fallen on the ground, lifting his sopping leg up in the air. He was either screaming or crying, Shiro couldn’t tell which one. Lance had run over to him, encouraging Keith to squeeze his hand if it hurt. Keith determinedly grabbed Lance’s hand, squeezing it as hard as he could. Lance only winced a little. 

Shiro wanted to understand what happened. He knew Keith probably wouldn’t be able to tell him, so he looked to Lance for answers. “Lance, what happened.” 

“We were just doing the research. Keith lit everything on fire and I was holding the timer. Then there was some wind and it pushed the papers around and then everything caught fire. Keith tried to stomp it out, but then some of the fire just got on him.” Lance’s voice hitched with every breath. It seemed like he was about to cry. “I didn’t know what to do! I’m sorry. I should have done something to help.”

Shiro had sympathy for Lance. It was an accident. He hadn’t done anything wrong or bad. Unfortunately, Lance would have to live with these images for the rest of his life. “It’s okay, Lance. It wasn’t your fault. And you were scarred.” He consoled as he looked at Keith’s leg. “Alright, Keith. Listen buddy, I’m going to take your pants off so I can get a better look at your leg.” He spoke gently before carefully removing the garment. 

Thankfully, the burns didn’t look too bad, mostly second degree. Most of the fabric of Keith’s pant leg had burned away with the fire, so the wound was clean. It was definitely going to blister and likely leave a few scars. And it was no surprise that Keith was in a lot of pain. And surely he was also in shock. But Shiro didn’t think it called for a trip to the hospital. 

“Lance, can you help me sit him up. We should run the burn under some cool water for a while. That should help with the pain.” Shiro looked at Lance and noted the horror still coating Lance’s features. Lance nodded hastily. 

The two of them helped Keith into one of the patio chairs, the one that wasn’t ashen from the fire. Shiro went and turned the hose on, dragging the nozzle over and handing it to Lance. He made sure to test the temperature before giving Lance any instruction. It was tepid, safe to apply to a burn. “Okay. Lance, hold this over Keith’s leg please. I’m gonna run inside and grab some more supplies.” 

Keith let out a small shriek at that statement, pleading for Shiro not to leave. “I’ll be right back, kiddo. I’m just going to get some towels, burn cream, bandages and some painkillers to make you feel better.” It broke Shiro’s heart to leave when Keith wanted him. But Lance likely didn’t know where anything was in the house. He had no choice. “Lance is here with you. Count to 100 and I’ll be back.” He gave Keith’s hand a tight squeeze before running inside and collecting everything he needed.  

Keith started counting, keeping his eyes clenched shut so he didn’t have to look at his own burned flesh. True to his word, Shiro came back before Keith reached 100. 

Lance helped Shiro take care of Keith. He kept the water going, and he helped apply the burn cream, and he helped Shiro wrap the bandages around Keith’s leg. He wanted to make sure he did everything he could to make Keith comfortable. After all, it was his idea to compare different burning rates. 

Once Keith was settled, Shiro and Lance brought him inside to rest on the couch. Shiro whipped them something to eat, leaving Keith and Lance alone to watch a movie. 

“Hey, Lance.” Keith croaked, his voice hoarse from screaming. 

“Yeah?” Lance was quick react if Keith needed anything. 

“Can we please do a baking soda and vinegar volcano for the science fair?” 

Lance blushed, but masked it with a calming chuckle. “Sure thing.” 


	6. Day 4 - Cold/Flu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is sick and miserable

Keith was generally a pretty cheerful kid. He rarely ever complained and always did what he was told. Since Shiro’s family had legally adopted him, Keith had been on his best behavior. He always did his homework as soon as he got home from school. He helped with chores around the house. He kept his room clean. And he never asked for anything. 

A completely different side of Keith was revealed, however, when he suddenly came down with the flu. The boy was absolutely miserable. Shiro had tried everything to put a smile on his brother’s face, yet to no avail. He skipped his forensics class so that Keith wouldn’t have to be alone. He lent Keith his tablet so he could watch Netflix in his bed. He made him hot chocolate with extra marshmallows. Keith’s pout was permanent. But it probably didn’t help that Keith was missing his school field trip to the planetarium. Keith had been raving about it for weeks. 

Shiro could tell that Keith was more than disappointed that he couldn’t go on the field trip. To make up for it, he offered to take Keith when he was feeling better. Keith replied that it wouldn’t be the same, turning his back to his brother. That was Keith’s passive aggressive way of telling Shiro to leave him alone. And Shiro did. Or he planned to once he’d made sure Keith took his next dose of medicine. 

He left Keith alone, likely to either continue sulking or fall asleep again. It was anyone guess. Shiro knew that Keith felt absolutely terrible. He’d been running a fever for three days. His sinuses were stuffed beyond belief and the sneezing was constant. And Shiro knew the sneezes were tearing up his throat. They weren’t quiet or gentle. They were loud and very violent. Shiro could hear Keith sneezing all the way from the kitchen. And they took Keith’s entire body with him. He had a right to be miserable. Thankfully, though, the nausea had eased for him after the first day. He wished there was something more he could do for him. 

Of course, Shiro knew Keith would start to feel better in a few days. And hopefully then he would be back to his usual self. But Shiro didn’t want to wait. He knew he couldn’t exactly get rid of Keith’s symptoms, but he wanted to at least get rid of Keith’s sour mood. He tried to come up with something, anything, that might heighten his mood. After thinking about it for a while, he set the plan in motion. 

XxX

The next time Shiro checked on Keith, he found Keith sitting upright in his bed on the tablet, two blankets wrapped tightly around his small frame. Shiro crept in and Keith paid him no attention. He recognized the narrator’s voice as Neil DeGrasse Tyson. “Watching The Cosmos?” Shiro asked hesitantly. Keith just nodded. 

“I brought you some soup. You haven’t eaten yet today. And it’s the chicken and stars kind you like.” Shiro extended the bowl towards Keith. Keith shook his head with a sneeze. “That wasn’t a question, Keith. You have to eat something.” He tried not to sound too demanding. 

Keith dramatically threw the tablet across the bed, episode still playing. He rolled his eyes and took the soup from Shiro’s hands forcefully. Thankfully he didn’t spill any, but it came remarkably close. “Thanks,” He replied curtly before slurping up a spoonful. 

“You’re welcome,” Shiro replied pressing his hand under Keith’s sweaty bangs. Keith’s fever still hadn’t broken. “Feeling any better than before?”

“No,” Keith protested, “Stop asking me every hour. It’s annoying.” Shiro had never heard Keith use that tone of voice with anyone. 

“I’m just trying to make sure you’re not getting any worse.” Shiro retaliated, more than slightly offended by Keith’s attitude. “You’re a real grouch when your sick, you know that?” 

Keith just looked back at Shiro with a harsh glare. Though it wasn’t as intimidating as he intended with his flushed face and red tinged nose. He’d practically rubbed his nose raw with tissues. And to make it even less intimidating, he sneezed before the glare reached its full effect. “Stop making fun of me. Stop babying me. Just leave me alone!” 

Shiro threw his hands up in defense, “I’m not making fun of you. I’m not babying you. I feel bad for you. I’m sorry you’re sick and you had to miss your field trip. But stop taking it out on everyone else. It’s not our fault.” Shiro was really starting to lose his temper. But he knew if he started yelling at Keith, things would deteriorate between them very quickly. Keith would probably refuse to do anything Shiro said, which included taking his medicine. 

Keith’s anger seemed to deflate at that. He let out a very hushed apology before turning back to his soup, pulling his blankets even tighter around him and shivering a bit. 

Shiro pulled Keith into a loose hug. “It’s okay. I know you don’t feel good.” He ruffled Keith’s sweaty hair a bit. “I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you go take a nice, relaxing bath. Maybe some hot water will clear up your nose a bit and help with the achiness. And you can get out of these sweaty pajamas, and it gives me a chance to change your sheets.” 

Keith seemed to like that idea. He nodded and shrugged his blankets off. Shiro offered to help him to bathroom, but Keith refused, claiming he could do it by himself. Shiro didn’t argue. He just encouraged Keith to call for him if he needed anything. Instead, he started stripping the sheets off Keith’s bed and replacing them with fresh ones. 

Once he heard running water, he started setting operation get-Keith-to-smile into motion. He’d printed out several pages of planet pictures and star systems. He started meticulously hanging them all around Keith’s room. The pictures look almost natural against Keith’s dark blue walls. He finally gets them all hung up and takes a look around the room. It’s definitely noticeably different and very eye catching. It wasn’t exactly a trip to the planetarium, but Shiro thought it might be a close second. And even better, Keith would be able to look at these forever. 

Just in time, Shiro heard Keith marching down the hallway towards his room. He walked in wearing the fluffy blue alien pajamas Shiro had set him in the bathroom. “You were right, Shiro. I do feel a little better now.” Keith admitted as he walked in. His eyes lit up the second he looked up and around his room. 

“Surprise,” Shiro interjected Keith’s amazement. “You couldn’t go to the planetarium, so I brought the planetarium to you.” 

Keith quickly wrapped his short arms around Shiro’s torso. “Thank you Shiro. You’re the best brother ever.” He smiled. 


	7. Day 7 - Allergic Reaction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is allergic to sesame. Lance is forgetful. Shiro is a lifesaver (literally).

Keith had long known about his sesame allergy. He discovered it when he was six years old and ate a sesame seed bagel for the first time. Then, it had been a life or death situation. He’d gone into anaphylactic shock and he had to be rushed to the hospital. It was bad. Keith’s mouth had swollen up, making it difficult to get enough air in. He was nauseous and suffered extreme heat flashes. The ER doctor told them that if they hadn’t rushed him as quickly as they did, Keith may not have made it. 

That was just over 10 years ago. Since then, Keith had been very cautious to avoid any and all things sesame. And the members of his family had also swore off sesame in fear of Keith coming into contact with it. Of course, there were occasions where he accidentally came in contact with it. But he’d been pretty good at keeping an Epipen or Benadryl on hand. His attacks were not as severe as they were when he was a child. His throat still constricted and he had the hot flashes. Occasionally, if he made physical contact he’d break out in hives. But it wasn’t anything a shot of epinephrine couldn’t fix. 

He was usually very good at asking about ingredients. He’d always ask if anything was made with sesame seeds of sesame oil. But as cautious as he was, sometimes he let his guard down. Particularly at parties or large social gatherings, especially the ones Shiro dragged him to. Sometimes he couldn’t find the host; or if he could, the host hadn’t prepared all the dishes themselves. Too shy to make a grand announcement about his allergy, he just tread lightly and tested his luck. Usually it worked in his favor. Sesame wasn’t a major ingredient in that many recipes. 

But other times he wasn’t so lucky. Sometimes people put sesame in food that it has no business being in. He was just helping himself to some chips and salsa. It seemed harmless, like a standard pico de gallo. Keith even made sure to pick through the mixture to check for any of the recognizable seeds. Seeing nothing wrong with it, he put a generous portion on his plate and went on to mingle. 

He’d found Shiro hanging around his group of friends, probably telling them some embarrassing story from when they were growing up based on the way they all doubled over laughing. Keith begrudgingly joined them, eager to hear which humiliating tale Shiro was blabbing about. Apparently, Shiro was telling them about the time he and Keith had a snowball fight and accidentally broke their neighbors window. Keith had to admit, that one was actually pretty good. 

He assimilated to the flow of the group’s conversation and started nibbling away on the chips he’d gathered. After his third chip, he started to get the sense that something was wrong. He immediately stopped eating, setting the plate down and stepping away from his friends. He quickly ran to the bathroom to get his symptoms under control.

Meanwhile, out at the party, conversation between Shiro and the others had stopped abruptly when Keith left. Everyone looked back and forth at each other, silently questioning why Keith had left. No one had an answer. 

Then suddenly, Lance’s eyes shot open in realization when he spotted the plate Keith set down. “Wait, was Keith eating that?” He asked, although he feared he already knew the answer. 

“I saw him take a few bites.” Pidge chirped in. Hunk confirmed. 

“Shit!” Lance cursed loudly, “I totally forgot. There’s sesame oil in the pico. It’s my mami’s special ingredient. I meant to tell Keith, but it completely left my mind.”

At the mention of sesame, Shiro lept into action. He raced around to find Keith. After asking six other partygoers, someone finally recalled that they’d seen Keith go into the bathroom. Shiro thanked them quickly and raced to the bathroom, not even bothering to knock. If Keith was having an allergic reaction, he likely wasn’t thinking about locking the door. Shiro was right. 

He rushed in to see Keith standing in front of the mirror. His face was drained of all color and he was wheezing, struggling to take in each breath. His lips looked painfully swollen. 

“Thiro,” Keith wheezed out, “Thethame.” It was really all Keith could manage to get out in between very hitched breaths. 

Shiro wastes no time escorting Keith out to his car where he has an epipen stored in his glove compartment. He stabbed the needle into Keith’s outer thigh with practiced ease and within a few second Keith was breathing normally again. His lips were still swollen; but as they learned, that would go down with time.  

When Keith managed to catch his breath, he turned to Shiro with a grateful smile. “Thanks Shiro.” 

Shiro responded by smacking Keith upside the head. “Next time tell me when you’re having an attack before I have to track you down.” He scolded. As the two walked back to the house, Shiro looked back at Keith, “And remind me to replace the epipen in my car.” 


	8. Day 8 - Mental Health

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith has a panic attack. 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNINGS: PANIC DISORDER. PANIC ATTACKS. UNINTENTIONAL SELF HARM.

In reality, Keith knew he shouldn’t have chosen a school so far from home. His parents tried to talk him out of it. His friends tried to change his mind. Shiro begged him not to do it. But in the end, Keith’s stubbornness won out and he decided to go as far from home as he could. He hoped some distance would help him be more independent, maybe he wouldn’t have to lean so heavily on all of them. 

That’s how he wound up in the middle of Oklahoma, a good 14 hour drive from home. He didn’t exactly regret his decision. He loved his campus. His professors were great. His classes weren’t too overwhelming. And he got along surprisingly well with his two roommates. But he knew about his disorder. He knew, eventually, he would have an attack. And he didn’t know who he could turn to 14 hours from home. 

That day came sooner than he was prepared for. It was only three weeks into his first semester. He wasn’t sure what prompted the attack; but then again, he rarely ever did. Regrettably, he was alone in the dorm room. Neither Hunk nor Lance should be back for at least three hours. They’d scheduled all their classes in the afternoon for some reason, thought Keith couldn’t complain about it. He usually enjoyed the alone time. 

But now that he was all alone, curled up on the floor beside his bed shivering hard. His knees were pulled tightly against his chest and he rocked back and forth. His heart felt like it might jump out of his chest and he just wanted to cry, but his eyes felt uncomfortably dry. He feared every labored breath he took would be his last. The anxiety pooled in his stomach and a sense of nauseousness crept over him. His fingernails dug so deep in the palms of his hands that he started to break the skin. 

Through the fog of panic and anxiety in his mind, he broadly picked out a longing for his home, for his brother. If he were home, Shiro would be crouched down beside him whispering soft words of comfort. He would talk Keith down and support him through the attack and the inevitable miserable feelings that followed. Shiro’s touch was always so gentle and welcome. His presence was an anchor for Keith to latch onto to prevent himself from drifting into the terrors of his mind. He missed Shiro. He needed Shiro. 

At possibly the worst time ever, Lance threw open the door to the room and rushed in. “Yo, I forgot my biochem text-” He stopped abruptly in his tracks when he caught a glimpse of Keith on the floor. “Dude, what’s going on.” 

Keith couldn’t form words. He opened his mouth a few times, but his teeth just chattered for a while before he clamped his mouth shut again. He registered Lance’s presence, but he couldn’t find the mental capacity to be embarrassed. He’d never told his roommates about his panic disorder. And he definitely didn’t want them to find out like this. But it was bound to happen sooner or later. Thankfully, Lance didn’t seem too taken aback. In fact, he seemed genuinely concerned. He’d completely detoured from his forgotten textbook. He may have even forgotten about the class he was supposed to be on his way to. 

Lance just sat next to him silently. Keith recalled Lance had talked about having a few panic attacks before. But Lance’s were always prompted by something, like a stressful experience or impending deadline. Keith tried to latch himself onto Lance as an anchor to reality. If he couldn’t have Shiro, he would have to make due. 

He managed to ground himself to the motion of Lance’s knee bouncing restlessly - ADHD; Lance had mentioned that before. Eventually, he managed to find his voice. “Shiro,” He gasped put through jagged breaths. 

Shiro was Keith’s brother. Lance knew that. Keith was a very private roommate; he didn’t often talk about his life or his family that he obviously missed very much (though he would never admit to it). Lance could pick up on stuff like that. But in the few conversations they’d had about Keith’s family, he remembered Keith mentioning his his brother and how close they were. Lance figured Shiro was the one Keith usually talked to about his problems. Maybe if he could find Keith’s phone, he could call Shiro. Even though Shiro wasn’t able to be there, maybe just having his voice around would calm Keith. That was Lance’s logic. 

Keith’s phone was resting on his desk as it usually was and Lance was quick to guess the passcode. Keith seemed like the guy that would make his birthday his passcode. It didn’t take long for Lance to find Shiro in Keith’s contact list; he only had about twenty contacts overall. All the while, he kept a trained eye on Keith, trying to keep him from slipping away again. He started to notice the blood racing down Keith’s palms. It was starting to enter levels of physical danger. If this Shiro thing didn’t work, he would resort to calling campus safety.  

The phone rang three times before Shiro picked up. “Hey Keith, what’s going on?” The older man answered cheerfully. 

“Hi. You don’t know me. I’m Lance, one of Keith’s roommates.” Lance spoke calmly, fearing that if he lost his cool, he would spiral into his own panic. 

Shiro, however, wasn’t able to contain his emotion. He immediately assumed the worst. “Where’s Keith? Is he okay? Is he hurt? Hold on, I’ll drive there.” He rattled off all too fast. 

“I’m here with Keith. Keith’s currently having a pretty bad panic attack. He asked for you. Don’t bother coming, I know how far away you live. Just, if it’s not too much trouble, I’m gonna put you on speaker and you could try to talk him down. He seems to be coming down, but I think you would really help him.” Lance explained, starting to feel his own heart rate rising. He had to stay calm, for Keith’s sake. 

“Yeah, I can do that. Put me on speaker and set the phone next to him.” 

Lance nodded. “Okay, you’re on speaker.” He added once he set the phone down. 

“Keith. Hey, buddy. Hold on. I’m here.” Shiro started rattling off gentle reassurances, taking long pauses to gauge Keith’s reactions. At the sound of Shiro’s voice, Keith’s eyes darted to the phone. Finally, something familiar for him to latch onto. With some verbal breathing exercises, Keith was able to get his breathing back to normal. He started breathing normally again. His heart rate started to go back to normal levels and he regained mobility, finally pulling his fingernails out of his palms. The shivering and shaking was next to stop. 

“Keith, how are you doing buddy?” Shiro asked when he heard Keith’s breath hitch in a sob. 

“I’m okay,” He was suddenly overwhelmed by a new range of emotions. He started sobbing. “I’m better now.” He was quick to wipe his tears away, remembering that Lance was in the room. He wasn’t used to Lance sitting around so quietly. Lance didn’t seem to mind his crying, though; he handed Keith the box of tissues. 

Shiro knew the next few hours would be a roller coaster of emotions for Keith. But with the attack over, Keith knew how to manage himself. “You’re gonna be okay.” Shiro reassured. 

Keith wiped his eyes. “Thanks Shiro.” They bid each other friendly goodbyes. He quickly looked at Lance, “And thank you, Lance. You skipped class for me.” 

Lance waved it off with a small smile. “Just, don’t be so secretive about it. You really scared me there for a bit.” He tracked down his first aid kit. “Let’s get your hands bandaged up.” 


	9. Day 9 - Broken Limbs/Cuts/Bruises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith comes home with a broken arm. 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNINGS: MENTIONS OF BULLYING. EMOTIONAL COMING OUT.

It was becoming a bad habit. Keith kept coming home with black eyes and fat lips. Every single day, Shiro noticed new bruises or cuts covering Keith’s body. And not the small brownish bruises. No. These were the massive purple and red ones. He managed to catch a glimpse of one of Keith’s side that was the size of a softball. And more often than not, the cuts were deep and oozing blood. Keith’s nose was often bloodied and his clothes stained beyond repair with blood. Shiro had to wonder if it was all his. 

But Shiro’s attempts to understand had all been in vain. Keith refused to breach the subject. When Shiro asked how he got his first black eye, Keith looked back at him like he had three heads. Like it wasn’t a totally valid question. 

Over the following weeks, Keith became more distant. He kept coming home later and later at night. And each day he looked worse than had the day before. All of Shiro’s questions were brushed off, even the ones that didn’t pertain to the injuries. When Keith did come, he locked himself in his room. He wasn’t even eating dinner (but he frequently heard Keith rustling around the house in the dead of night, hopefully grabbing himself some leftovers). Their parents had volunteered Shiro to be the one to make Keith talk. 

The more Shiro prodded, the more Keith refused. They didn’t talk about anything anymore. Shiro was starting to get really worried. He’d come up with a few possible explanations for Keith’s newly developed behavior. He worried Keith was getting bullied. Maybe the injuries were a result of the him trying to stand up for himself. Maybe he had joined a gang. Or some kind of secret fight club. It also crossed his mind that it was all self-inflicted He knew Keith was having a tough time in high school, but he didn’t think it warranted this much physical damage. 

Shiro was losing track of which bruises were new and which were old. He’s not sure when he had last seen Keith with two good eyes. At this point. Shiro wasn’t even sure if Keith had all of his teeth. He’d decided not to pester Keith about it any further. Bruises will heal, scars will scab over. If Keith wanted to talk about it, he would initiate it. Shiro trying to pry was just tearing them further apart. 

Shiro abandoned that philosophy when he noticed Keith come home clutching his right arm. What started as curiosity quickly turned to sheer panic when he saw the protruding bone fragment. Keith seemed to know it was bad, because begrudgingly approached Shiro. “I need to go to the hospital.” He was biting down on his bottom lip to prevent himself from screaming at the pain. 

Shiro wasted no time grabbing his car keys and loading Keith into his car. “Now this has gone too far, Keith. I’ve tried to ignore it but this is totally unacceptable. What the hell is going on with you?” Shiro was using his stern voice. Afraid of pushing Keith away, he softened his voice a bit, “You can tell me. Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out. But this has to stop. You’re gonna get yourself killed.”  

Keith grated his teeth, but eventually broke and started crying. “Shiro, I have to tell you something.” Shiro gave a small nod, waiting patiently. It took Keith a few minutes to compose himself enough to continue “I’m gay.” 

Shiro reached his hand over, setting it gently on Keith’s thigh. “Keith’s it’s okay.” He reassured. “It doesn’t matter to me at all. You’re my brother no matter what. You shouldn’t be afraid to tell me anything. I’ll always accept you.” He honestly wasn’t all that surprised, Keith had never showed any interest in any of the girls in his class. 

Keith grabbed Shiro’s hand comfortingly. “Thank you, Shiro.” He sighed out, a weight being lifted off his shoulders. 

“Of course,” Shiro smiled. There was a long pause between them. “So are you being bullied?” Shiro asked. He was glad Keith told him about his sexuality. But he was still curious about the broken arm. 

“Not me. My boyfriend.” Keith explained, wincing in pain when a sharp turn jostled his arm. 

“And you’re sticking up for him.” Shiro smiled, “How noble of you. You’re a good kid, Keith.” He was a little ashamed of himself for thinking some of the things he did. 

Shiro finally made it to the hospital, “We can talk more about this later. We need to get your arm fixed.” Keith leaned on Shiro as they ran into the emergency room. Shiro hadn’t felt this close to Keith in a long time. 


	10. Day 10 - Migraine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith gets pretty intense migraines. Shiro just wants to help.

Keith hadn’t been out of bed for three days. And he showed no signs of getting out any time soon. It wasn’t all that out of the ordinary for Keith to suffer from extreme intense migraines, but was happening more frequently in the past few months. Normally, he’d only have three or four a year. And while they weren’t a walk in park, he was able to go about his days with only moderate discomfort. Now he was getting them once a month. And one episode could last as long as a week with pain so bad he could hardly move at all. 

It was starting to affect him in all areas of his life. He constantly fell behind in school from all the missed days. He couldn’t hang out with his friends when he wanted to. And when he wasn’t bedridden from the pain, he was in and out of hospitals taking scans and seeing neurologists to try and find out what was causing the frequent migraines. Thus far, they haven’t had any luck. 

Shiro couldn’t help but feel bad for Keith. He’d never had a migraine himself; in fact, he hardly ever got simple headaches. So he couldn’t possibly comprehend the pain Keith was in. Based on the way Keith whined and moaned, he knew it had to be near unbearable. He wouldn’t wish it on his worst enemy. 

What hurt Shiro the most was that there was nothing he could do. When Keith had a fever, Shiro offered him blankets. When Keith had a cold, Shiro could make him soup. When Keith had a skinned knee, Shiro could give him a bandage. Shiro prided himself on knowing how to make Keith feel better. He’d spent much of his life learning how to take care of his little brother. He felt it was his brotherly responsibility. The migraines were the only exception. 

They had tried everything. Shiro tried offering him ice packs for his head, but Keith said that made it worse. He’d tried hot pads, but Keith didn’t like that either. He’d tried Tylenol and Advil and every painkiller in the books, but Keith’s pain was still unbearable. There was nothing Shiro could do, nothing Shiro could give, that would make Keith’s pain go away. 

But that didn’t mean Shiro wouldn’t try. If could do nothing else, he was at least able to keep him company. It was a dry company. The room was dark and painfully silent, so not to make Keith’s experience any worse. Shiro just sat himself at the edge of the bed with a constant hand resting just below Keith’s knee. Keith didn’t complain about, so Shiro figured it didn’t make him feel any worse. 

But Keith didn’t really acknowledge Shiro at all, too focused in on his own pain. With a light towel over his face to block out the residual light that slipped through the curtains, he focused mainly on his breathing. Particularly, breathing in a way that didn’t put too much pressure on his sinuses because that’s where his migraine formed. His pain always centered right around his eyes. Sometimes, it hurt so much he could barely open them at all. 

Shiro stayed, regardless. When the nausea got to be too much and Keith heaved, Shiro was right beside him with a reassuring hand on his back. When Keith needed a drink, Shiro brought the cup to his lips. When Keith finally managed to fall asleep, Shiro rubbed soothing motions onto Keith’s leg encouraging him to stay asleep. When Keith needed to eat, Shiro made sure all bites were small and manageable, so he wouldn’t have to put too much effort into chewing. Whatever he could do, he’d do it. 

Shiro even decided to stay in the room with Keith overnight. He’d keep constant vigil over his little brother, because it wasn’t uncommon for Keith to wake up screaming from the pain. He only dozed off a handful of times, but Keith’s light shifting was enough to rouse him once again. When he woke in the middle of the night, he felt something touching his hand. More particularly, he felt someone holding his hand. When he lifted his head, he noticed that Keith had clasped his hand around Shiro’s. Likely as a token of gratitude, Shiro believed. 

Shiro couldn’t make Keith’s pain go away. He was doomed to be miserable. But he could do everything in his power to make sure Keith wasn’t miserable  _ and  _ alone. And the next time Keith would get a migraine, Shiro would do it all over again.  


	11. Day 11 - Bronchitis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith doesn't tell anyone about his symptoms. Shiro pries it out of him.

It was just a cough. Keith thought he could manage it. Sure, it was definitely an inconvenience; but it wasn’t any reason to worry anyone. He’d only been with this foster family for a few months. He wasn’t exactly comfortable enough with them yet to tell them how he feels - physically or emotionally. He was tough for his age, and wise beyond his years. He could handle a simple cough. 

So he went to school as usual. He spent most of his class periods hacking up his lungs. His fifth period teacher ordered him to go to the nurse. Rather than let her fully check him, he claimed he was just getting over a cold. She seemed to believe him and gave him a handful of cough drop before wishing him well. The cough drops were the overly mentholated minty kind that made his mouth cold and taste vaguely like soap. But he used them nonetheless. They weren’t 100 perfect effective, but they did help some. And sucking on them kept his mouth moist, which was good because all the harsh coughing was starting to rip up his throat. But he would suffer through it.

Days passed and the coughing was only getting worse. Along with the harsh fits came chunks of phlegm that he begrudgingly (and disgustingly) swallowed to avoid anyone finding out. He knew that a traditional common cold shouldn’t produce this much phlegm and he was starting that worry that maybe he’d bit off more than he could chew. Maybe he couldn’t suffer in silence like he was so used to doing. Maybe he should tell someone. 

And yet, when his foster parents asked, he always lied. He told them that his drink went down the wrong pipe, or that his breath just hitched. And while he could kinda tell that they were starting to see through it, they backed off. From the day he arrived, they knew that if they pushed too hard to get Keith to trust them, it would only push him further away. 

Keith did, however, seem to be forming a close bond with his older foster brother. Shiro had been kind and compassionate since he first arrived. He was the first one to give Keith a full tour of the residence, and he was even teaching Keith how to ride a bike without training wheels. No one had ever offered to do the things for Keith that Shiro did. He took Keith to the movies and bought him books and played board games with him on rainy Saturdays. And despite being busy with school and a job and a girlfriend, Shiro always made time for Keith; and Keith admired that about him. 

Keith trusted Shiro with his life, even though they had only been brothers for a few months. And Shiro knew very well that Keith had taken a liking to him. He was proud. He’d always wanted a little brother and he was thrilled when he found out they were going to foster Keith. Shiro was even urging his parents to move into the adoption process so they could legally be his family.

As an older brother, Shiro felt it was his responsibility to make sure Keith was well taken care of. And of course he noticed Keith’s cough. He spent the better portion of the past few nights coughing, Shiro knew. Their rooms were adjacent and the walls were thin. The severity of the attacks and the gurgling Shiro could hear told him that it was something to be worried about. And after the fourth sleepless night, he decided to see what he could do. 

He knocked on Keith’s door and waited for affirmation to enter. When he heard a hoarse “come in” amidst bouts of coughing, he slowly opened the door and wandered inside. He waited for Keith’s fit to end, taking a determined seat next to Keith on the bed. 

Eventually, Keith stopped coughing, but it was replaced by shallow, wheezy breaths. “Shiro,” His voice was cracked and dry, “It’s 3:30, why are you awake?” Keith started to blush because he feared he knew the answer.

Shiro chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Kinda hard to sleep with all the coughing, wouldn’t you agree?” Keith’s head dropped shamefully and he wheezed out an apology, “It’s okay. I know you can’t help it,” He hoped Keith couldn’t see the bags under his eyes. “But it’s been almost a week and your cough is only getting worse.” 

“It’s not as bad as it sounds,” Keith argued, leading him into another coughing fit. Shiro slapped his hand against Keith’s back and he could hear mucus jostling in his chest. He also noticed the way Keith grimaced when a hunk of the stuff landed in his mouth. 

When Keith made a move to swallow it as he’d become so comfortable doing, Shiro interjected. “Spit it out.” He handed Keith a pile of tissues. Keith accepted the tissue pile and hastily spit out the ball of phlegm, throwing the crumpled tissues in the trash can by his bed. “Don’t swallow them, Keith. It’s not good for you.” 

“Sorry,” Keith muttered, still recovering from the fit. There was an eerie silence and Shiro worried he may have upset Keith. “Shiro,” Keith started, voice cracking a bit. “What’s wrong with me?” Shiro that tell that the crack in Keith’s voice wasn’t caused by the coughing but rather by the urge to cry. 

Shiro quickly pulled Keith into a tight embrace, comforting him while he started to shed a few tears. “Hey, hey. Keith don’t worry. You’re going to be okay.” He comforted. “I’m not a doctor, but it sounds like bronchitis to me. Nothing a little rest and medication can’t fix. Trust me, Keith. You’re going to be just fine.”

Shiro’s confidence helped to ease Keith’s fear a bit. His tears eventually dried up and he nodded at Shiro’s proposed diagnosis. “Tell you what. If you let mom and dad take you to the doctor tomorrow, I’ll take you to the arcade once you’re better.” Shiro offered. 

It was an offer Keith couldn’t refuse. He immediately accepted, for the sake of his own health and for a day at the arcade. He figured that if Shiro was suggesting he tell his foster parents, they probably wouldn’t be mad at Keith for getting sick. “I’ll tell them in the morning. I promise.” Keith extended a pinky out to Shiro. 

Shiro latched his pinky onto Keith. “It’s a deal.” He smiled. “Alright, try to get some sleep.” He tucked Keith’s covers around him.  


	12. Day 12 - Free Day - Chicken Pox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is in quarantine and very very lonely.

Keith usually enjoyed his alone time. He liked sitting in his room reading his books in peace. He liked laying on the floor with his coloring books and building with his legos. He could spend hours by himself, lost in his own thoughts and content with his own company. 

But after four days of quarantine, he was willing to do anything for some genuine human contact. His mom was in an out of his room multiple times throughout the day. But she usually just came to check his fever or give him food. She didn’t really keep him company. But he couldn’t blame her; he knew there was so much she had to do. She didn’t have time to keep up a conversation. 

Still, he couldn’t take much more of the solitary confinement. He knew it was to protect Shiro. And he didn’t want Shiro to catch it. He wouldn’t wish it on his worst enemy. He’d never felt more itchy his entire life. And this was coming from the kid who’d had poison ivy all over both his legs. And maybe he wouldn’t mind it if he could play with his toys, but he was too tired and achy to even get out of bed. All he could do was sit in his bed and think about how lonely he was and how his mom kept telling him not to scratch. 

He grimaced while he looked at the clock, watching the second hand tick by. If he’d known this would be his fate, he might not have complained to his mom the other day about the “bug bites” that were making him super itchy. When she saw the little red bumps spread all over Keith’s back, she immediately rushed him to the pediatrician. There, her worst fears were confirmed. Thankfully, they had caught it early and Keith hadn’t been spreading it for too long.

But Shiro had been exposed to Keith almost constantly. They lived together. And even though the bumps had only just shown up, the doctor told them that he has been contagious for a few days. And it was especially dangerous for Shiro since he was so much older than Keith. It was just a nuisance for him. As the doctor explained, the disease would have more complications if Shiro were to get it. 

But Keith would be fine in about a week. The doctor assured them that all the bumps would blister and scab over, then he would be back to normal. Until then, however, it was best for him to keep his distance from everyone who hadn’t already the chicken pox before. Thankfully, his mother had them as a child. He worried that if she hadn’t, he wouldn’t even be graced with her short visits. 

He was four days in. Many of the bumps had already started to blister, and some had even started to scab. Only a few more days and he would be good to go. And he promised himself that he wouldn’t spend anymore time than necessary alone in his room. He doubted he would be playing by himself any time in the near future. He would go outside and ride his bike and help his mom in the kitchen and do whatever he could to be around people. He may even befriend some of the neighborhood kids just for some extra playmates. 

He was shocked from his thought by a knock on the door. He looked over at the door, expecting his mom to walk in. When it didn’t open, his expression changed to confusion as he called out, “Hello?” 

“Hey Keith, how you feeling?” Shiro’s voice carried under the small slit under the door. Keith’s eyes burst open with excitement. He hadn’t talked to his brother since his confinement. 

“I’ve been better. Still really itchy.” Keith complained, and just mentioning the itchiness increased his urge to scratch. 

“Mom said not to scratch!” Shiro warned. “That’ll make it worse.”

“I know. But Shiro, it’s so itchy!!” He whined, rubbing his back against the headboard of his bed. Because that technically wasn’t scratching. 

“Let’s do something that’ll take your mind off of it.” Shiro suggested. 

Keith gasped, “You can’t hang out with me Shiro. I don’t want you to get sick too. I’m still contagious. Mom said so.” He argued despite how badly he wanted to hang out with his brother. Refusing the company was probably the hardest thing he had to do. No, it was the second hardest. The single hardest thing he ever had to do was supress the urge to scratch.  

“Relax, Keith. I’m not gonna come in. I’m gonna sit out here in the hallway.” he heard Shiro plop himself down in front of he door. “But mom mentioned that you’ve been lonely, so I figured I could entertain you for a while.” 

So mom was listening to him complain when she came to check on him. That was good to know. “But how can you play with me if you can’t come in?” Keith asked. I’m seemed a little ridiculous that they would hang out but also be separated by a wall. 

Shiro seemed to have thought it all out before he came. He didn’t even hesitate when he answered. “We can play one of the games we play on long car rides. We don’t need to be next to each other to play those games.”   

Keith actually liked that idea. Their family hadn’t taken a long trip in a while, and he really enjoyed those car games. “Can we play last letter first letter?” He asked pleadingly. 

Shiro let out a short laugh, “Sure thing, bud. What category do you want to do?” 

“Animals!” Keith answered quickly and enthusiastically. 

“You always pick that one,” Shiro laughed. He didn’t mind though, “I’ll go first. Lion.” 

“Newt.” 

“Turtle.” 

“Elephant.” 

“Tiger.”

“Rhinoceros.”  

“Snake.”

“Eagle.”    
  
“Elk.”

“Kangaroo.”

They played all through the afternoon. They’d both been well versed in the category to keep this round going for hours. They occasionally got tripped up on a few letters, but they always managed to come up with something. And though Keith hadn’t noticed it, he hadn’t felt the need to itch the whole time he was playing with Shiro. 

“Opossum.”

“Macaw.” Shiro answered after a long pause. 

“Wallaby,” Keith replied through a long yawn. 

“Are you getting tired?” Shiro forwent an answer (and good thing because they had pretty much exhausted the list of animals that start with “Y”). They had been playing for a while. And he knew Keith still wasn’t at 100 percent energy-wise. 

“Maybe a little,” Keith replied, tiredly rubbing his eyes. 

“Alright, dude.” Keith could hear Shiro standing up, his joints cracking from sitting so long, “Get some rest. We can play again later.” He knocked against the door.

“Hey Shiro,” Keith called out before Shiro could walk away. He heard Shiro hum to continue, “I said the last animal. That means I win.” Keith replied snarkily. 

Usually, Shiro could be a bit of a sore loser. But he figured he’d let Keith win this one. “Yup, I guess it does. We’ll have a rematch later though.” He laughed. 

“I look forward to it.” Keith smiled before falling asleep. Even though it wasn’t exactly the human contact he’d been craving, it helped. Keith didn’t feel as lonely anymore. He slept soundly knowing Shiro would be back later. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is officially the last prompt of whumpmas. But damn I love writing whump prompts! If you've got an idea for a whump prompt that you'd like to see me write, let me know. I'm always open to requests. 
> 
> Also, for the record these were all posted on Tumblr pretty much on time. I just got a little lazy transferring them over to AO3. Whoops. My bad. 
> 
> Anyway, if you're reading this you made it to the end! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed them! Feedback and kudos are ALWAYS appreciated.


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